Lashkar-e-Taiba Wreaks Havoc in South Asia, Threatens the U.S.
While much of the United States’ attention in South Asia has centered on battling al Qaeda, ISIS, the Haqqani network, and the Afghan Taliban, several […] More
Pakistan
Militants and Missionaries: LeT’s Dual Role in South Asia
In South Asia, most of the U.S. attention is focused on Afghanistan where it is combatting terrorist and insurgent groups such as al Qaeda, ISIS, […] More
Cipher Brief Expert View: Sharif’s Resignation a Win for Pakistani Military
On Friday, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigned after the Pakistani Supreme Court disqualified him from office on charges of corruption. Sharif’s family finances were […] More
Pakistan’s ISI: The True Deep State
While the origins of the phrase may be traced back to Turkey, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) today represents the defining example of a “deep […] More
Pakistan’s Double Game, Unpacked
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is one of most powerful intelligence agencies in the world, as it works to further Pakistani interests in South Asia. The […] More
Pakistan’s Proudly Double-Dealing Intelligence Service
Pakistan’s intelligence organization, known as Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has ensnared the U.S. in a double game for years. Operating in the shadows of the Pakistani […] More
Murky U.S.-Pakistan Relationship Defined by Afghan War
For the last 15 years, the U.S. and Pakistan have struggled to navigate the murky nature of their relationship as they strive to bring security […] More
Pakistan’s Proxy Strategy Principal Cause of Mistrust for U.S.
Despite Pakistani claims to have taken action against all terrorist groups on its soil, U.S. government officials have continued to signal that neither anti-Afghan Taliban […] More
Great Potential to Deepen U.S.-Pakistani Relations
As the Trump Administration debates sets its policy for the way forward in Afghanistan, it will also need to consider the role of Pakistan in […] More
Trump’s Options for Afghanistan: Losing or Not Losing
The American war in Afghanistan is in its 16th year. It was preceded by 12 years of civil war, and before that by the Soviet […] More
Al Qaeda Quietly Expands in South Asia
While al Qaeda’s affiliates in North Africa, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen continue to grab headlines, the terrorist network has surreptitiously expanded eastward, entrenching itself throughout […] More
Stop the "al Qaeda-is-Degraded" Rhetoric
The Cipher Brief sat down with Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director and Senior Associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center, to discuss the threat […] More
AQIS Fits Into al Qaeda’s Global Strategy
While al Qaeda’s affiliate in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) may be regionally focused, Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, says […] More
What Is the “Deep State”?
The term “Deep State” has achieved new popularity in recent weeks, but not in reference to opaque military elites in faraway countries. Today, the term […] More
Pakistan’s Entrenched Deep State
Academic and policy analysts generally agree that Pakistan’s army and directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, exert a controlling influence over most of Pakistan’s core […] More
What in the World is Happening in Pakistan?
The last couple of weeks have seen almost daily terrorist attacks across Pakistan from a variety of bad actors: February 13: A suicide bombing during […] More
Nudging Afghanistan in the Right Direction
With the Trump Administration set to take office next month, The Cipher Brief spoke with Robert Grenier, former CIA Chief of Station in Pakistan and […] More
Kashmir in Crisis—Again
In the latest cross border clash between Pakistan and India, an elderly woman and Indian soldier were killed and two others were injured, according to […] More